Local government leaders push for Beaufort County sales tax revival

Less than a month after it was voted down, several local government leaders and a group of residents are urging Beaufort County Council to reconsider a proposed sales tax referendum.

But with little time remaining before a state deadline, several council members say it’s unlikely they will change their mind and allow the proposal to go to the ballot for voters to decide on in November.

Council voted 7-4 on June 23 not to include on the ballot a $221 million, 21-item list of capital improvement projects. The projects would have been funded with a 1-percent sales tax, and the amount needed would have been raised in eight years or less, as the tax was expected to generate about $30 million annually during that time.

The sweeping list was recommended to council by a six-member independent commission formed by the county. It included an array of projects advanced by county administration, local municipalities and other area organizations, such as schools and economic development groups.

Among the items were a $28 million realignment of Bluffton Parkway between Buck Island Road and Buckwalter Parkway, several infrastructure and safety improvements along U.S. 278, as well as new athletic facilities and an arena for the University of South Carolina Beaufort. Council only had the authority to vote the list up and down as a whole.

The seven members who opposed placing the proposal on the ballot had a variety of objections: There were too many pork projects on the list, the proposal was not likely to generate enough public support in the fall and there was not enough time to thoroughly vet such an extensive list.

The four members who supported advancing the proposal — Jerry Stewart, Laura Von Harten, Gerald Dawson and Bill McBride — argued the public should have a chance to decide.

Mobilizing support

Several local government and business leaders, including Bluffton Mayor Lisa Sulka, who rallied behind the projects agree and have called on council to rethink its vote.

“I do believe in letting the voters decide whether or not to approve (the tax),” Sulka wrote in an email, “and while I may understand some projects may not be of priority to County Council, I do not feel that they should squash it and not allow the public to decide.”

Some of the commission members who whittled down an initial list of more than $600 million worth of projects also would like council to take a second look.

Commissioner Mike Covert of Bluffton said he and commission vice-chair Scott Richardson attended a meeting Thursday morning with several local government leaders at the Beaufort Jasper Water and Sewer Authority aimed at mobilizing support for the list. Covert said he did not know who organized the meeting.

“Honestly, I’m a very busy businessman, and I took my appointment as an honor to represent the people of Beaufort County,” Covert said. “For (council) to shoot that down and not let it go to the ballot for voters to decide on for themselves is a complete waste of my time and a slap in the face for every other commissioner on that board.

“I don’t think the process was started too early or too late. We were given a job to do, and we did it with a beginning, middle and end.”

Covert said the majority of council gave in too easily to the demands of local tea party leaders and other conservative groups who campaigned actively against the proposal once leaders began to unveil the ideas to the commission in April.

“This is all due to a political minority and little faction raising cane and putting the squeeze on council,” Covert said. “Forget about whether the projects should go forward, the citizens need to be able to decide that for themselves.”

Council would be able to decide again on the referendum if one of the seven members who voted against it asked council to reconsider the vote, another member seconded and council voted to reconsider, council chairman Paul Sommerville said Thursday.

Time crunch

The move would have to come swiftly, though. Because it would be an ordinance, the referendum would have to pass three readings and go through a public hearing.

Council’s next scheduled meeting is July 28, and it also has one set for Aug. 11. Therefore, council would need to schedule at least one special meeting to have enough votes and be able to submit the ballot question to the local elections office by the Aug. 15 deadline, Sommerville said.

Sommerville, who voted against including the referendum on the ballot, said he was not aware of any members considering a change of heart.

Councilwoman Cynthia Bensch said she has not heard much feedback asking her to reconsider her vote.

“I know a lot of work went into preparing that list, and it’s hard to say it’s just over, but it may be time for the supporters to consider that,” Bensch said. “The law is clear on how limited we were with our options (on the proposal), and there just was not enough of us who felt this could be done in this kind of economy. If more information got out, it’s possible that even more people could be against it.”

Still, at least some residents want the opportunity to decide for themselves. An Online Petition started last week had garnered 40 signatures as of Friday afternoon, and its associated Facebook page had 259 “likes.”

“We have a critical need to improve our infrastructure, our educational system, recreational resources and most importantly our economy,” John Dickerson wrote. “We deserve the right to vote on these projects and the tax that would pay for them.”

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When the mayor of Bluffton supports her bosses 2.5 mile Bluffton parkway extension through his property for the laughable sum of $28 million dollars, who benefits? Is there something wrong with the parkway now? (Other than it was the wish of Sulka's mentor Hank Johnson to straighten the road.) If Reed wants the extension then break out your check book and pay for it yourself. (Guaranteed it will be far less than $28 million.) Besides if the mayor is so concerned about the river then how is covering more land with asphalt and concrete going to improve river quality? (Hint: it has a lot more to do with over development (see tax "revenue"), then septic tanks.)

Looking at the way the town waste money on housing projects, (something that is none of their business) it will be over budget and sold for far less than it cost. Of course we will be asked to make up any difference.

I am glad the county shot this down. Non of these projects are essential. It is just a way to waste vast sums of money during Obozo's great recession and to make government look magnanimous. And doesn't the money spend so much easier when it is not yours.

I think it IS time for new blood in the Mayor's office.
Preferably one that isn't in the Building / Housing / Real estate business.
And please be someone that wants to stop the out of control growth, not have the "MORE REVENUE / MORE SPENDING!" mindset, and someone who will do something about all of the freeloading illegal aliens that have invades us (and our schools) here.

The "straightening" of the Bluffton Parkway shouldn't be anywhere near $28 million dollars. Plus, that project was already approved by voters in the last referendum, so our elected goons better figure out a way to pay for it without raising our taxes...........AGAIN.

That straight section was the section that should have been built FIRST. And don't let our elected officials try and tell you that they couldn't build it first because of Pinecrest. That builder (Centex Homes) offered to pay for a road that went from Pinecrest's main entrance out to Buckwalter, but our elected officials turned them down.